by Anti-Racist Action Columbus
Thursday, Sep. 28, 2000 at 4:05 PM
stop_tabd@hotmail.com
Join us to SMASH capitalism!
errorWe are calling for Revolutionary Anti-Capitalist people to come to Ohio and join us in opposing yet another undemocratic authoritarian structure functioning quietly in peace this year. On November 16th thru 18th the Trans-Atlantic Business Dialog (TABD) will hold their annual CEO meetings in downtown Cincinnati. The TABD has positioned itself as the executive vanguard of the World Trade Organization. They represent the interests of the European Union and North America in the process of the globalization capitalism. These meetings will bring more than 100 CEOs and top government officials together to resolve trade "issues". This body represents the interests of the white, first world, capitalist elite, and exists to impose their collective will, not only the governments and capitalists of other nations, but on the working peoples of the world as well. Anti-capitalists of all backgrounds and philosophies must come together to opposed these authoritarian and exploitive policies and procedures. The TABD is yet another anti-democratic structure in the capitalist elite's march toward unopposed world supremacy. Along with the WTO, IMF, World Bank, UN, NATO, and NAFTA, the TABD is just one more tool for reducing inter-capitalist conflict, allowing them to better exploit the rest of us.
Many coalitions are calling for actions, rallies, marches, and teach-ins during this latest undemocratic meeting to divide the world's resources and the fruits of all people's labor for the benefit of an elite few. Many of these actions will be legal, permitted, and reformist. Others will be of a non-violent, civil disobedient nature. But regardless of these various coalitions' stances on tactics, none of their political statements represent our views or needs. For this reason, we find it necessary to organize in solidarity with these coalitions, but autonomously, on our own terms and with our own explicitly anti-capitalist analysis.
We are not necessarily calling for any specific tactic aside from revolutionaries visibly standing together against imperialism and exploitation. We feel it is important that we stand apart from the advocates of "fair" trade and green capitalism. Whether it is the TABD or another global capitalist structure, our opposition is the same, we stand with indigenous people and the working class the world over against the facade of "improvements" on global capitalism; capitalism cannot be improved, it must be destroyed. We stand for a bright future, when the fruits of the world's labor are used for the needs of the people that do the producing.
To that end we are against narrow economic nationalism. We refuse to play the game of pitting the working peoples of one nation against the working peoples of another, one state against another, or one eco-system against another. Capital is globalized; the resistance of the working class must be as well.
The first-world business leaders who comprise the TABD think they can quietly meet in a very conservative Midwestern city, plan, dine, drink, play, and slip back to their palaces and offices. We aim to show them that even here they will meet resistance. This is why we reach out to anti-capitalist people of all ideological persuasions to join us in our disruption of business as usual in Cincy.
We feel it is important as well to stand together with the rest of the movement in solidarity and opposition, but at the same time visibly apart in our presence and analysis. It is time we spoke out about what we want, both within the anti-globalization movement and to the world at large. It's time for the world to hear the voices behind the masks.
Our place and purpose is to keep resistance solidly anti-capitalist, uncompromising, total, and global. Let the capitalists have no quiet city. Let the forces of reform no longer use us as silent foot soldiers. Let capitalism feel another blow.
We ask other like minded collectives and networks to move quickly to both endorse this proposition and join us in the planning and execution of this action. Join us in showing the capitalist class that the Midwest is not their playground that resistance can happen anywhere, and that revolution is afoot the world over.
Toward the new world we carry in our hearts,
In Solidarity,
ARA Columbus
****add your collective's name at the bottom of the list if your collective chooses to endorse this call to action, and then circulate widely; please send endorsements, feedback, ideas, and full contact information to stop_tabd@hotmail.com****
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